Portable sketching easel and stool



(No Model.)

J. D. COLE.

PORTABLE SKETGHING EASEL AND STOOL.

No. 487,553. Patented Dec. 6, 1892.

NHED STATES PATENT BEIGE.

JOHN D. COLE, OF LANSING, IOWVA.

PORTABLE SKETCHING EASEL AND STOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,553, dated December 6, 1892.

' Application filed June 18,1892- Serial No. 437,146. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN D. COLE, of Lansing,county of Allarnakee, State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portable Sketching Easels and Stools, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to a foldable stool and easel adapted for use by artists and other persons for sketching or drawing purposes in outdoor work; and its object is to provide a simple and inexpensive contrivance adapted to be compactly folded together and to safely carry the color-box, extensible drawing-board, sketches, and other articles or utensils, and which can be quickly unfolded to bring into operative position the stool, easel, and drawing-board.

In myimproved device the easel is sustained or supported without the use of a prop or supporting-leg and without undue strain on the pivots thereof, and such easel is so arranged that the artist can sketch or draw while seated on the stool or while standing in front of the easel.

To the accomplishment of these objects the invention consists in a pair of centrally-pivoted legs adapted to be folded compactly within one another and having the ends of the pliable seat or top attached to the cross-bars connecting the legs, and an easel pivoted to one of the pairs of legs and adapted to rest or bear when unfolded against suitable stops 0r shoulders rigid with said legs,whereby the easel is sustained in its raised position without straining the pivots that connect the easel to the legs.

The invention further consists in an easel such as described, having the rear side and ends closed so as to form an inclosure and with grooves in the inner faces of the side pieces of the easel, and a sliding drawingboard fitted and adjustable in the grooves of the easel, said board having at one end a transverse piece which serves to close the end of the space between the side pieces of the easel, said easel forming a box or receptable in which the best portion of the legs are inclosed when the parts are folded together.

The invention further consistsin the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The accompanying drawings fully illustrate my invention, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the stool and easel unfolded and adjusted for use. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the easel adjusted in position for use while the artist is standing. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device when folded up for conveniently carrying the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device in its folded condition.

Like letters denote like parts in the several figures.

A A designate one pair of legs,and B B the other pair of legs. The legs B B are arranged within or between the legs A A, and said pairs of legs are pivoted directly together by means of the pivots a a, so that the legs B B are adapted to fold flush with the legs A A. The upper ends of the pivoted legs A B are connected together by means of the bars 0 O, which serve to strengthen and brace the legs, and to these cross-bars O O are fastened the ends of the seat D,said seat D being made of any suitable pliable material-as canvas, for instanceand the same is fastened to the cross-bars in any suitable manner, said legs, cross-bars, and pliable seat forming the folding stool of the improved apparatus.

E designates the easel, which is formed by the side barsfg and the back h, which is rigidly fastened to the side bars in any suitable manneras, for instance, by nails, screws, or equivalent fastening means. The back It extends from the upper ends of the side pieces to a suitable line above the lower ends of the side pieces g f, so that said lower ends of the side pieces project or extend ashort distance below the lower edge of the back. These extended lower ends of the side pieces are fitted on the outside of the legs A B at the rear side of the stool, and said legs and side pieces of the easel are pivoted directly together at f f, such pivots being at points between the pivots (LG, and the upper ends of the rear legs A B. Said upper ends of the legs are provided with stops or projectionsjj, which extend beyond the sides of the legs and lie in the path of the edges of the side pieces of the easel, and said side pieces are recessed on their rear edges, as at 7c 7s,to adapt the side pieces to fit snugly to or against the stops or projectionsabove the pivots of the side pieces, thus holding the easel in its proper elevated and inclined position and relieving the pivots of undue strain. The easel inclines rearward slightly from the seat, so as to be convenient to the artist while seated on the stool; but when it is desired to use the easel while the attendant is standing the easel is inclined toward the front of the stool, as in Fig. 2, and suitable props are employed to sustain the easel in this position.

In the faces of the side pieces on the inner sides thereof are provided the longitudinal grooves Z l and m m. In the aligned grooves Zlare adapted to be fitted the edges of the drawing-board L, or said drawing-board can be fitted in the other pair of grooves m m. The drawing-board can be conveniently carried in the grooves of the easel, or it can be drawn out above the easel a suitable distance for use. At the upper edge of the drawingboard is secured a transverse strip N, the width of which is equal to the depth of the easel, and when the drawing-board is shoved within the side pieces of the easel this strip fits within the side pieces finsh with the ends of the side pieces and with the upper edge of the back, thus completely closing the upper end of the easel. To the lower edge of the back I secure a batten O, which is of such width that spaces or notches 0 o are leftat its ends and between the side pieces sufficient to receive the legs of the stool when the parts are folded compactly together, such batten serving to close the lower part of the space within the easel.

For carrying the color-box (not shown) I provide grooves 13 p in the inner sides of the legs A A below the pivots a a, and the space at the back of the color-box and between said legs is closed by means of the board I.

The operation is obvious and explained as follows: \Vhen folded, the legs lie alongside of each other and are inclosed within the side pieces and upper strip of the drawingboard, the whole forming a compact structure, which can be easily carried. To unfold, the easel is first lifted up and the legs are then drawn apart, the parts assuming thepositions indicated in Fig. 1 if it is desired to use the stool, or the position in Fig. 2 if the artist stands up to the easel The drawing-board can be drawn out and the work allowed to rest against the same and on the upper ends of the side pieces. When folded, the drawing-board is shoved between the side pieces, the color-box and palette fitted in the grooves 19, the drawings or sketches are carried safely within the ease], and cloths or other utensils can be packed in the space between the back of the easel and the color-box.

The device is simple and light of construction, so that it can be conveniently carried and it is cheap of manufacture.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction of the embodimentof myinventionherein shown and described can be made without departing from the principle of the invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as fairly fall within the scope of the invention.

A further advantage of my invention is that an oil-color sketch While in a wet or moist condition can be carried safely and protected from the dust by being attached to the drawing-board before the easel is closed.

What I claim as new is- 1. A folding stool and easel comprising the pivoted legs supporting a pliable seat and an easel pivoted to the legs and adapted to be sustained in an elevated position by stops or projections on the legs, as and for the purpose described.

2. A folding stool and easel comprising the pivoted legs and the pliable seat secured to the legs, the easel having its side pieces pivoted to one pair of legs at a point above the pivots of the legs and the stops on the legs above the pivots of the easel, as and for the purpose described.

3. A folding stool and easel comprisingthe pivoted legs having the fixed stops or projections on their upper rear ends, the pliable seat secured to cross-bars connecting the legs,-

and the easel pivoted at its lower ends to the legs above the pivots thereof and having the rear edges recessed to bear snugly against the stops, as and for the purpose described.

4. A folding stool and easel comprising the pivoted legs supporting a pliable seat, the easel pivoted to the legs and having the grooves on the inner faces of the side pieces, a drawing-board fitted in the grooves and adapted to be extended beyond the upper end of the easel, and the stops or projections on the legs against which the easel bears when unfolded, as and for the purpose described.

5. A folding stool and easel comprising the pivoted legs having the stops, the pliableseat, the easel recessed and pivoted, asdescribed, and having the grooves and the back provided with the batten, the drawing-board fitted in the grooves and having the strip at its upper end, and the board secured to the legs behind the grooves therein, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand this 3d day of June, A. D. 1892.

JOHN D. COLE.

Witnesses:

EMMA BOECKEMEIER, J. H. TREWIN.

IIO 

